The Mayor and City Council yesterday announced that it has received its twenty percent takings from Smart City Solutions (SCS) for metered parking but did not disclose the sum.
It is believed that the revenue from the metered parking is far below expectations in the face of weeks of boycotts.
A release from the council said that this money is taken from the gross earnings of the initiative. It noted that the Council has no responsibility for expenses related to this project; all expenses are borne by SCS.
The release said that money from the Parking Meter initiative has been earmarked to do certain civil works including upgrading existing Council roads and constructing new ones, developing sidewalks and pavements for pedestrians, clean and sustain drains and canals related to roads, bridges and foot paths and a city transport system particularly for children and senior citizens.
“The money is needed to enhance the council’s very narrow revenue base to provide a wide range of vital municipal services to local communities and the city as a whole. These include: Public and environmental health services, street lighting, maternal and child welfare services, maintain of cemeteries, enforcement of the city building codes and by-laws, and open spaces, parks and recreational facilities”, the city said.
The Council said it is “also happy to report that more motorists are using the Parking Meters, particularly, in very busy areas of the central business district of the city. The Council, through a special technology, can see, in real time, the performance of the parking meters, on a daily basis”.
The metered parking project has generated months of controversy which has intensified in recent weeks with boycotts of the meters, protests and legal action. It has forced a reduction in tariffs and other changes. The Movement Against Parking Meters had called for a rescinding of the deal.
